A NEW £7 million industrial development is set to be built in Keighley.

The scheme is earmarked for a site at Beechcliffe, near the Aire Valley trunk road.

Members of Bradford Council's regeneration and environment scrutiny committee have discussed the proposals, which could see the long-disused land transformed by 2026.

Councillors were told the council-owned site, which is allocated for employment purposes, was once home to a mill that was demolished decades ago.

Keighley Towns Fund cash would be used to help redevelop the area.

The new industrial park could then be sold to a developer.

It's estimated there will be around 300 jobs on the site.

Officers told the committee that the project would help retain businesses already in the town, which are seeking to expand but currently struggling to find suitable premises. Their subsequent relocation within Keighley would in turn free up smaller units for start-up firms.

Members heard that the deadline for spending Towns Fund cash is March 2026, so this is the current completion target for the work.

Councillor Chris Herd welcomed the scheme.

He said: "I think it is a brilliant plan, which should create a lot of jobs. As a council we should play our part."

Councillor Riaz Ahmed asked if the council was confident the development could be delivered within the predicted costs. Officers responded that a similar project in Bradford, to remediate a site in preparation for a major employment scheme, had come in under budget.